Mop wringer and bucket unit



Aug. 12, 1941. H. C. MacGRAI-I 2252,436

- MOP WRINGER AND BUCKET UNIT Fild Jan. 51, 1940 IIILELZ?JL m 0 0 INVENTOR.

30 50 40 25 Harry C. Mac Graham ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE MOP WRINGER AND BUCKET UNIT vHarry MacGraham, Wellesley Hills, Mass. Application January 31, 1940, Serial No. 316,555

l-Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in mop wringer and bucket units.

More particularly it provides improvements in mounting and actuating mechanism for a pair of wringer rolls which are adapted to be pedalactuated, over a bucket, for effectively squeezing a mop as the mop is drawn between the rolls. Also the invention provides an improved. main support for the rolls and the bucket, in relation to each other and to the floor, or other underneath support against which the operator and the apparatus react.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a stiff wringer structure which will alsobe convenient of operation and durable, wherein the leverage efiect for the squeezing of a mop increases with movement of the wringerrolls toward each other, without loss of compressing cftect of the rolls together by back flexing of the swinging arm support of either.

A feature is that each roll is-braced on two spread legs constituting a rigid triangular struce ture, and that the two triangles have a base point in common whence the force for moving the rolls is applied to each roll by tensile transmission in a straight line through a tie, as the rolls swing toward each other.

Another feature is that the base of one of the triangular structures, although fixed in position relative to the pedal operating lever, can travel a little, over the main support, advancing and retreating thereon to permit these pulls on the rolls to function from that point which is common to thetwo triangles, whereby their connection may also be a direct connection of the triangles to the leverage arm of the pedal, for operating them in unison.

Another feature is that the main frame support for the rolls can also support a bucket, removably, under those rolls,-this support being coordinated with the operating pedal so that pressure on the pedal produces no tendency to upset'the .unit.

These objects, and other advantageous results, are attained witha main support or base of the apparatus as a whole, which may beeconomically made of one or two pieces of angle-bar steel, or other metal, plus casters if desired. This provides feet for the whole, an enclosing support for the base of the bucket, and supports for the pressing rollers.

The supports for the rollers are upstanding elements, of angular aspect, rising from the level of the bottom of the bucket to peaks above the top of the bucket, where the -four peaks carry the two squeezing rollers, horizontally parallel easy entrance for a thick dripping mop. For

, squeezing, they rock through fiat arcs, which are essentially horizontal, bucket.

. The rocking is turning about points at the base, close to the floor and approximately under the spread positions of the rollers, a construction which produces the essentially horizontal character of the roller movements; and the rocking is effected by straight rectilinear pulls from a middle part of the pedal lever direct to the four peaks-that is, direct to the axle of each roller. Thus the operating stress applied to the support holding the roller has no shearing or bending component. When the peaks are thus pulled together, for the squeezing, they are tipped so that their outer sides slope outward from the middle and constitute braces that transmit the thrust reaction of the mop, against the squeezing, rectilinearly downward to the basal frame at the floor-separate from the bucket-in outward directions, making the Whole apparatus stable during the squeezing.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claim, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mop wringer and bucket unit, embodying features of the invention, the Wringer rolls being spread wide open;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the rolls brought into mop-squeezing relation, by depression of the pedal;

Figure 3 is a top plan of the unit as represented inFigure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective of a form of main supporting base, apart fromthe bucket.

Referring to the drawing, the main base IE! is shown in Figure l as being of conventional construction for constituting a horizontal support for a bucket or pail I 2 close to the floor. As represented in Figures 1-3 the base is a rectangular frame of angle iron providing an upstanding vertical flange for surrounding the bottom of the bucket while the bucket rests loosely on the horizontal flange of the same extending inward of the rectangle. A single piece of angle iron may be bent to the rectangular shape, with suitable V cut-outs in the horizontal flange at the to the middle of the corners, to facilitate the bending; and the two ends may be secured together in any preferred manner. Casters H5 at the rear of the frame, and, in Figures 1 to 3, blocks l8 forward constitute feet and short legs for maintaining the frame level close to the floor comparable to the legs Id of Figure 4. Or, the front legs may be fabricated by cutting off and suitably bending the horizontal flange of the front piece of the frame as at M in Figure 4.

At each side, mounted on the base toward its rear is an upstanding plate 2%] having a hori- Zontal slot 22, wherein pin Ed is slidable, constituting the fulcrum of the rear triangle or bellcrank lever and of a pedal bar 23. From this fulcrum the link 26 rises as an arm of the triangle lever. Acting as a strut, this arm helps carry the shaft 30 of the rear wringer roll 32. A link 34, helping to carry the same, extends down from the roll to a mid-point 35 on the pedal bar 28. The part of the pedal bar extending thence back to the fulcrum pin 24 is the third side of the rear triangle, which as a whole swings around pin 24 when the pedal is depressed, with the roll at its top moving approximately horizontally forward.

. Forward on the base at each side, an upstanding link 36 is fulcrumed as at 38, rising thence to carry one end of shaft 40 of the forward wringer roll 42; from which link 4% descends to the same mid-point 35 on pedal bar to which the link 34 is connected. From the point 35 a link runs to the fulcrum 38 of this forward triangle. The pedal bar 28 extends further forward; and the pedal bars at the two sides are connected across the front by the cross piece 46. Springs 28, one at each side, normally hold the pedal in the elevated position of Figure l, with the rolls spread wide apart over the bucket.

Each side of the structure described thus has two triangular elements. Each triangle is rigid because its link sides are of fixed length. If preferred these elements might be solid triangular plates.

In use the unit may be carried or pushed from place to place. When it is desired to wring a mop, the mop will be inserted in the bucket, between the spread rolls 32, 42, after which the rolls are brought toward each other by depression of pedal 46. As the rolls squeeze the mop, the mop is to be drawn upward through them by the operator.

By reason of the angular spread between the side links which unite at their top to hold a roller, the support of each roller is firm, and in particular cannot bend forward or backward under whatever high and irregular pressure may be imposed in squeezing a mop. Thus the apparatus maintains the rollers parallel. And by reason of the common point 35 through which the pressure is transmitted, without slip at that point, links 26 and 36 are struts, holding the rollers up and causing their service travel about their respective fulcrums 24 and 38 to be approximately horizontal. Risk of bending either strut 26 or 36 is avoided because the links 34 and 44 are chords, applying pull directly to the shaft of the rollers. And because of the angular spread between the upright struts 26, 36 and their respective bases 2 335 and 38-35 the travel of the common point 35 is approximately vertical very completely vertical at the position where maximum pressure is wanted, seen in Figure 2- and therefore is in position of greatest advantage for resolving the operators downward pressure;

want

on pedal 46 into horizontal squeezing without imposing a bending stress on the uprights. The downward pull on the bell cranks fulcrumed on the base I0 is by a lever whose fulcrum 24 is tied down to the same base by the slot 22. The base itself is held down, against the operator's upward pull on the mop at the forward end while it is being squeezed, by the fact that in approaching the ultimate position of the rollers this pull, which is incident between the rollers, is applied approximately over and ultimately forward of the point 35 where the downward pressure of the operators foot is felt, as can be seen in Figure 2. Thus the two forces applied by the operator, the squeezing and the pulling through, approximately neutralize each other so far as disturbing effect on the position of the apparatus is concerned. But for readiness in case of any possible utility, the lug 50 can receive the operators other foot, to hold down the rear end of the base.

A stop 52 may be provided, if desired, for limiting downward travel of the pedal, to prevent the applying of excessive strain to the rolls and their supporting structure.

The form of base illustrated in Figure 4 removes the front feet from the path of the pedal, permitting design for lower depression of the pedal; utilizes, for the feet, stock not otherwise needed in the base; and reduces the number of operations in manufacture. Also it may be formed with a rear foot rest 53. This has the peculiar effect, in cooperation with the pedal 46, that the user can stand astride the unit, with one foot on the rear foot rest and the other on the front pedal; and so is in position to exert a vertical pull against the weight of his body which is holding down both ends of the unit, and so is in favorable position to make a tight squeeze of the rollers.

In each construction, as the pedal moves downward, its fulcrum at 24 shifts along slot 22 as may be needed for permitting the bases of the triangles to swing down into line.

The invention provides a rugged unit in whose operation for wringing a mop ample pressure can be attained without imposing excessive strains on any part, and without danger of inconveniently tipping the unit.

The said links may be ordinary steel straps, and the base frame may be ordinary steel anglebar.

For convenience, in transporting the unit fromplace to place, a ball or handle 54 may be provided interiorly of the bucket, designed to lift both the bucket and the base. The bail nor,- mally is below the wringer rollers as seen in Figures 2 and 3, with its grip portion resting against a side wall of the bucket, out of the path of the rollers as the latter are brought together. But when the rollers are at rest, in their spread relation of Figure 1, the bail may be swung upward, as in Figure 1 and can then lift the bucket and the base, with the bucket rising from the base a little until its side edges engage under the wringer rollers or their shafts.

I claim as my invention:

In a mop wringer having a pair of squeezing rollers and, for moving the rollers together and apart, having a pedal lever, and linkage on each side of the wringer having angular linkage-peaks journalling the rollers; that improvement where-- in there is a floor frame base for holding a watercontainer under the rollers, and on that base,

atforward and rearward corners of the container space, are pins respectively mounting the for- V ward and rearward outer links of the peaks; and wherein said lever has its pedal forward, with beam extending aft on both sides of the wringer and fulcrumed aft on the base frame; those links 5 which constitute the inner slopes of the said angular peaks being connected to said lever beside a middle portion of the container space; whereby each angular peak has outer supports which n HARRY C. MACGRAHAM. 

